And they went up into the city. When they had come into the middle of the city, behold, Samuel came out to meet them, to go up to the high place.

Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin. And you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel, so that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on My people because their cry has come to Me.

And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said to him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall reign over My people.

And Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and said, Please tell me where the seer's house is.

And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place. For you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.

And as to the asses which were lost to you three days ago, do not set your mind on them. For they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?

And Saul answered and said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak so to me?

And Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the room, and gave them a place at the head of the invited ones, about thirty persons.

And Samuel said to the cook, Bring that part which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it beside you.

And the cook took up the shoulder and that on it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is reserved! Set it before you and eat. For until this set time it has been kept for you, since I said, I have invited the people. And Saul ate with Samuel that day.

And they came down from the high place into the city, and he spoke with Saul on the top of the house.

And they arose early. And it happened about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, so that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and both of them went out, he and Samuel outside.

They were going down to the end of the city, and Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to pass on before us and pass on. And you stand still awhile, so that I may cause you to hear the Word of God.

When you have departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel's tomb in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. And they will say to you, The asses which you went to seek are found. And, lo, your father has quit caring for the asses and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

And you shall go forward from there, and you shall come to the great tree of Tabor. And there you shall meet three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.

And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall take from their hand.

After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. And it will happen to you when you come there to the city, even you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp and a tambourine and a flute and a lyre before them. And they shall prophesy.

And the spirit of Jehovah will come powerfully on you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.

And they came there to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him. And the Spirit of God came on him, and he prophesied among them.

And it happened when all who knew him before saw him, behold, he prophesied among the prophets. And the people said to one another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

And a man from there answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And he finished from prophesying, and he came to the high place.

And Saul's uncle said to him and to his young man, Where did you go? And he said, To look for the asses. And when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel.

And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But he did not tell him of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel spoke.

And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah to Mizpeh.

And he said to the sons of Israel, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, of those who oppressed you.

And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken. And they looked for him, but he could not be found.

And they inquired of Jehovah further, Has the man yet come here? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he is hiding himself among the baggage.

And they ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than all of the people from the shoulders and upward.

And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Let the king live!

Then Samuel told the people the duties of the kingdom, and wrote in a book and laid it up before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his house.

But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no present. But he was silent.

And Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, With this I will make a covenant with you, when all your right eyes are dug out and I will make it a reproach on all Israel.

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Bear with us seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.

Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and told the news in ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field. And Saul said, What is wrong with the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

And the Spirit of God came powerfully on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

And they said to the messengers that came, So shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help. And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

And the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.

And it was so on the next day, Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the middle of the army at the morning watch. And they killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And the ones who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And the people said to Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men so that we may put them to death.

Then Samuel said to the people, Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.

And all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal, and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before Jehovah. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray-headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

And they said, You have not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither have you taken from any man's hand.

And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

And now stand still, so that I may reason with you before Jehovah of all the righteous acts of Jehovah which He did to you and to your fathers.

And they forgot Jehovah their God. And He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baals and Ashtoreths. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.

And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived safely.

And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though Jehovah your God was your King.

And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you!

If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God.

But if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the command of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah shall be against you as it was against your fathers.

Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah, and He shall send thunder and rain, so that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, that which you have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking a king for you.

And Samuel called to Jehovah, And Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.

And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, so that we will not die. For we have added evil to all our sins, to ask a king for us.

And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.

And do not turn aside to go after vanities, which cannot profit nor deliver. For they are vain.

Also, I, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah from ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way.

then Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And of the rest of the people he sent each man to his tent.

And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines in Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew the ram's horn throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

And all Israel heard, saying, Saul has struck a garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has made himself stink to the Philistines. And the people were called to Gilgal after Saul.

And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

And the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place (for the people were distressed). And the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

And the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

And he waited seven days, according to the set time with Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him.

And Saul said, Bring a burnt offering here to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

And it happened as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and to kneel to him.

And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come in the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves at Michmash,

and I said, The Philistines will come down now on me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to Jehovah. And I forced myself and offered a burnt offering.

And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.

And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.

And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people present with them, stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines camped in Michmash.

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way to Ophrah, to the land of Shual.

And another company turned the way to Beth-horon. And one company turned the way of the border that looks toward the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter.

And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares.

And it happened in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear.

And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

And the day came that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison which is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

And Saul stayed in the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men.

And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

The one crag was a pillar on the north in front of Michmash, and the other southward in front of Gibeah.

And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.

If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.

But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.

And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.

And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed after him.

And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field.

And there was trembling in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked, and it was a very great trembling.

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude had melted away and went on here and there.